Chapter 84 Su Chen

Chapter 84 Su Chen

The weekend was finally here.

Zhou Zuofei stuck to her original plan—sleeping late, treating herself to a good meal, and then heading out with Xiao Wang in the afternoon to shop at the busiest commercial district downtown.

The streets were packed with people over the weekend—families out together, couples on sweet dates, and groups of students trying to make the most of the last days of summer vacation. It was lively, if a bit noisy.

Zhou Zuofei had never been fond of crowded, noisy places, yet shopping somehow felt incomplete without the hustle and bustle.

People were just contradictory like that. Even those who craved quiet might occasionally need to be around people for a change.

She was a case in point—she wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about shopping, but getting dragged out now and then wasn’t the worst.

The key factor was who accompanied her.

If she went shopping with Du Yu, the whole point was to chat. Walking around was just something to do while chatting—perhaps critiquing who on earth would buy certain clothes or playing the silly but weirdly fun price-guessing game.

But with Xiao Wang, he was all in on shopping, sometimes even pickier than Zhou Zuofei. He actively helped her pick out items, offering suggestions and styling advice.

On top of that, Zhou Zuofei was never one to hesitate when making decisions. She worked hard so she could shop without worrying about prices.

As a result, their shopping trip went smoothly—one giving great advice, the other swiping her card without a second thought. Zhou Zuofei not only found a trench coat she loved but also bought several other outfits.

Mostly thanks to Xiao Wang.

He didn’t ask—he just paid attention. She knew what she liked and didn’t like and would outright state why she didn’t like something.

So, by combining observation with his understanding of her, he could deduce her tastes and make recommendations accordingly. Even if Zhou Zuofei didn’t initially feel a strong need for new clothes, she’d give it a shot if it looked good.

It just went to show—even dating got the same careful attention.

After buying a few items, she figured they’d done enough damage and promptly cut him off, insisting on taking Xiao Wang to buy an apron next.

The trench coat could wait, but the apron was going straight to work!

Compared to the brand boutiques upstairs, the shops on the basement level were more casual and aimed at everyday shoppers.

As soon as they entered, Zhou Zuofei spotted a fresh juice stand and dragged Xiao Wang into line.

Ahead of them was a group of young men and women. Though stylishly dressed, they had that student vibe.

Zhou Zuofei overheard snippets of their conversation—topics like GPAs and roommates—which sealed it.

She turned to Xiao Wang, about to share her observation, but noticed his unusual expression as he was zoning out.

Curious, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Wang hesitated—a rare occurrence—which only deepened her curiosity.

Just as she was about to press further, one of the boys in front turned around and, upon seeing them, blurted out, “Bro?”

His friends also turned to look. “Su Chen, is this your brother?”

“Wow, he’s so handsome!”

Hearing that address, Zhou Zuofei immediately understood—Xiao Wang must have recognized Su Chen earlier and had been on the fence about saying hi.

She’d been watching Xiao Wang’s face, and being familiar enough with him, she knew he wasn’t exactly comfortable—he was wearing his usual work smile.

"Hanging out with classmates today?"

"Pretty sure these are my high school buddies." Su Chen appeared cheerful and talkative, already going down the line introducing his friends to Xiao Wang.

By the time Su Chen was in high school, Xiao Wang had already moved out, so he didn’t know much about his little brother’s high school days. Likewise, Su Chen’s classmates had only heard Su Chen had an older brother but had never met him in person, so they were all pretty curious.

"This guy was my desk mate for two years in high school. Pretty sure I’ve told you about him once before."

"Hey, big bro! Su Chen used to call me ‘godfather’ back in the day."

"Shut up." Su Chen laughed and gave his friend a playful shove. "Don’t lie—clearly, I was your dad."

Xiao Wang greeted everyone warmly, "Nice to meet you all. Since we don’t run into each other often, let me get everyone juice."

They all rushed to turn him down.

"No need, no need! We got it covered."

"Yeah, big bro, you don’t have to pay. Make Su Chen pay!"

"Why should I treat you? In your dreams! Big bro, don’t bother—these guys are rolling in it."

As he spoke, Su Chen kept shooting Zhou Zuofei sideways glances. His brother wasn’t working overtime or at home on the weekend but was instead shopping downtown with a beautiful woman—something was definitely going on.

But he couldn’t just come out and ask. What if she was just a client or coworker? That’d only cause trouble for his brother.

Mom would chew him out about it later.

Zhou Zuofei naturally noticed Su Chen’s occasional glances and gave him a knowing smile.

Su Chen immediately grew flustered, looking away like he’d been caught.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wang was saying to the group, "It’s fine. Whether I treat you or Su Chen does, it’s practically the same. Get whatever you want—my treat."

"Well..."

The college students weren’t completely clueless about social etiquette, so they all looked to Su Chen for his opinion.

Su Chen waved a hand carelessly. "Then go ahead and pick what you want. If my brother says he’s treating, he means it."

Hearing this, the group immediately expressed their gratitude to Xiao Wang, their excitement through the roof.

"Wow, thanks, big bro!"

"See, riding with Su Chen has perks—free drinks when we go out!"

"This isn’t just a brother—this is a real dad right here!"

"Stop with the lame family jokes already. No one’s laughing."

The infectious energy of youth was undeniable. Though Xiao Wang had initially been in a low mood, the compliments perked him up a bit, and his smile became more genuine.

"Hope you all have fun today."

Before they knew it, it was their turn in line. Once all the classmates had ordered, Xiao Wang lowered his voice and asked Zhou Zuofei, "What would you like?"

His tone instantly softened, making it clear to anyone with eyes that the two of them weren’t just acquaintances. But since even Su Chen didn’t ask, the others certainly couldn’t pry.

Zhou Zuofei had already made up her mind while queuing and answered without hesitation, "I'll have green grape snow pear."

Xiao Wang confirmed the order with the cashier and was paying when Zhou Zuofei, distractedly watching, suddenly heard Su Chen's voice beside her.

"Sis, are you and my brother colleagues?"

Turning around, she realized Su Chen had deliberately left the group to approach her, his nosy intentions plain as day.

Zhou Zuofei smiled faintly and gave an ambiguous reply, "Sort of. I do work at Universal too, but we're in different departments."

Not getting the answer he wanted didn't deter Su Chen. If it was just speculation earlier, after hearing their conversation, he felt his guess was pretty close—his big brother must be in a relationship.

Though he'd never dated himself, his roommate had!

"So... can I call you sis-in-law?"

So blunt? Zhou Zuofei looked at him in surprise, thinking how vastly different the brothers' personalities were.

But the term "sis-in-law" felt weird, and she couldn't quite accept it yet. "You can call me Zhouzhou. My name is Zhou Zuofei," she said.

Su Chen immediately switched, "No problem! Nice to meet you, Zhouzhou. I'm Su Chen—like morning Chen."

His enthusiastic and sincere attitude was actually kind of endearing.

"Hey, Xiao Wang's told me about you. You're still in university, right?"

"Yeah, but I'll graduate next year."

"So you'll be working soon? Or continuing your studies?"

"I haven't decided yet. I was planning to ask my brother about it."

"That mainly depends on your own plans." Zhou Zuofei gave some veteran advice, knowing Xiao Wang was quite fond of this younger brother, so she spoke more earnestly.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wang was done paying. Holding the receipt, he turned and saw Zhou Zuofei chatting with Su Chen?

It's not that he was shocked they got along—given Zhou Zuofei's personality, she could charm anyone instantly if she wanted to.

But the person was... Su Chen.

Xiao Wang knew how absurd his thoughts were, but he couldn't help feeling bothered, fighting annoyance but holding back. The result was him walking over and butting into their chat.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Graduation," Zhou Zuofei replied. "I was discussing with your brother whether to pursue further studies or start working."

"Bro, you're way too sneaky! Not even telling the family when you're dating." Su Chen joked in an exaggerated tone, "But don't worry, after drinking your juice, my lips are sealed—my word!"

Su Chen completely understood why his brother kept personal matters private. Growing up meant having your own space, and once parents knew, there'd be endless questions—especially with how naggy his mom could be.

So he immediately picked a side—he'd firmly stand by his brother's side, vowed to take it to the grave.

Xiao Wang hadn't actually thought that far ahead; he was simply used to handling personal matters himself without informing his family.

But hearing Su Chen say this naturally put him at ease.

"I'm counting on you."

Su Chen flashed a bright smile. "No sweat. Get your drinks and get going—don't let me cockblock you."

So Xiao Wang waited for the grape-pear juice to be prepared, then took the receipt and asked the staff to pack it first. Before leaving, the two made sure to say goodbye to everyone.

Su Chen was the most enthusiastic. Though he had only met Zhou Zuofei for about ten minutes, she had left a really good impression on him.

Besides, this was his brother’s girlfriend—of course she was awesome!

"See you later, Big Sis Zhouzhou! Next time, let’s play games together."

"Sure, I’ll add you later."

The moment they turned around, Xiao Wang asked her, "You two exchanged contacts?"

"Just on the gaming platform." During their chat, Su Chen had casually mentioned a gaming reference, and Zhou Zuofei had chimed in, only to realize they were into the same games.

Hearing this, Xiao Wang dropped it. When it came to gaming, he really had nothing to contribute.

He took Zhou Zuofei’s hand. "Let’s go get the apron."